Number of organisations in the North Maharashtra joined over two thousands
men and women from the Narmada valley from the villages affected by the
Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) have commenced their Human Rights March from
Badwani in Madhya Pradesh on April 1 ( Thursday). The March has arrived in
Malegaon in Maharashtra on the second day, conducting public meetings in
Shahada, Dondaicha, Dhule . They were welcomed by number of organisations
and people of the area. The people reasserted their determination to expose
the false claims made by the state and union governments and to face the
unjust submergence that is imposed on them. " We will not be cowed down by
the attempts of the governments to displace us by the threat of
submergence" said Noorjibhai, one of the main village leaders from the
tribal area of Maharashtra.

Hundreds of people from the resettlement sites in Gujarat and Maharashtra
joined the people from the villages resisting the dam and displacement.
Women and men from plains of Nimad, from the mountains of Vindhya and
Satpuda along with those affected from the other dams in the Narmada valley
have been a part of the rally. Number of activists from Kerala, Tamilnadu,
other parts of Maharahtra have been accompanying the march. The March was
welcomed en route at Anjad, Palsud, Khetiya in M.P. and at Shahada,
Dondaicha and Dhule in Maharashtra before it camped for the night at
Malegaon. Mr. Waharu Sonavane, the prominent leader of the tribals and of
Adivasi Ekata Parishad said that whatever happens regarding the
displacement and dam in the Narmada valley would have profound impact on
the tribalsí rights and resources all over India. Expressing his solidarity
with the struggle in the Narmada valley he decried the attempts of
Maharashtra government to displace the people with the threat of the
submergence.

The people at these places have arranged for the food for the marchers and
joined with them. The people will be having similar halts and
rallies-meetings at Nashik, Then before reaching to Mumbai on 4-5 th April
en routre Delhi. The people will, through the Yatra, would appeal the
people along their way to rise against the spectre of displacement and
destitution.

In Delhi, the people will be protesting against the role of the Union
Ministry of Social Justice in facilitating the further construction on the
dam when the ground reality was something else.

The people in the Narmada valley have decided to take out a "Human Rights
March" to reassert their right to life and to expose the false claims made
by the governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and the Union
government regarding the displacement and resettlement of the SSP oustees.
The interim order of the Supreme Court will further inundate 33 tribal
villages in Maharashtra and at least 25 villages in M.P. with 1500-2000
families facing the displacement. Those who have been resettled upto the
present height of 80.3 meters could not be resettled fully. Even the first
few villages near the dam site are not resettled. Those who have been
resettled have been facing the problems regarding non-availability of land,
uncultivable land, problems regarding drinking water, fodder, fuel etc. The
Maharashtra government claimed that it had enough land to resettle the
oustees upto 110 meters, when in reality hundreds of those who have been
displaced hitherto are left in lurch without land, and other amenities.